Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Faith is currently on the Paleo diet and she’s been asking the obvious question: “Can’t you make some meals that are healthy ie no carbs but still really tasty”. And because I am known for taking what might, to most, be a relatively healthy dish or meal and turning into a cholesterol binge – I said I’d try. (I’m the one that has to add lashings of syrup and pounds of butter to my cooked oats – I know I know it destroys any upside the oats might have – but oh it tastes sooo goood).

So here’s something that I make infrequently but always enjoy thoroughly. Traditional rolls often include rice noodles in the roll but I prefer them without the noodels – it’s just empty calories. I’d rather pack my rolls with tasty goodies.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Recipe for Vietnamese Spring rolls

What you’ll need for the sauce:

½ clove crushed garlic

2 limes

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soya

2 Tablespoons water

½ – 1 teaspoon chili (sambal oelek)

To make:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and leave for at least 20 minutes to allow flavours to meld.

What you’ll need for the rolls:

1 small bunch fresh coriander

1 small bunch fresh mint

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 carrot grated (on large grate)

12 – 16 medium cooked prawns (cooled)

6 – 8 rice wrappers or lettuce leaves

To make:

Wash and pat dry the coriander, mint and sprouts and arrange on a plate alongside the grated carrot and prawns

To prepare rolls using rice wrappers: you need a shallow dish with warm water, dip 1 wrap into the water making sure that the wrap is completely covered and then remove from the water (the whole dipping process shouldn’t take more than 10 seconds) shake excess water off wrap. Lay the wet wrap flat on a plate and place a small quantity of each ingredient onto the wrap roughly 2 cm from front edge heap the ingredients on top of each other. Make sure that you leave about 3 cm on either side. Then roll one side edge in over the small mound, pull the edge closest to you over the side edge and roll tightly for 1 turn. Fold the other side edge in and continue to roll to end of wrap. Here is an example of how to roll the wraps.

You would use the same method using lettuce as a wrap.

Note: instead of prawns you can use fried tofu or cooked and shredded lamb, pork or beef – all work equally well.